It's 'market value' for the 65 point player he's likely going to be.
It's absolute highway robbery if he breaks out as more than that.
Confirmed Signing with Link: [MTL] F Juraj Slafkovsky signs extension with the Canadiens (8 years, $7.6M AAV; begins 2025-26)
- Thread starter MMC
- Start date
It's absolute highway robbery if he breaks out as more than that.
DJB
Registered User
Never seen a contract that comes with so much risk but at the same time could also be a steal.
Habs better hope they have it correct or it’s going to be ugly
Habs better hope they have it correct or it’s going to be ugly
What could possibly go wrong with a team of exclusively 22 year olds.
How is that contact more risky then recent high pick signings like Power's or even in your own back yard Sanderson's ? All signed after one full season where they were able to show there potential.
DJB
Registered User
I’ve never been an Owen Power fan even going back before his draft and yes his contract comes with a ton of risk. I think he lacks hockey sense and I’ve criticized him and been criticized for saying so. But at minimum you have yourself a top 4 dman.
Sanderson has already shown top end defending with top pair potential and playing #1 PK. It’s to be seen if his offensive game develops or not but he already looks like a #2/3 dman already.
In terms of Juraj it a lot of money for one 50 point season and we’ve seen many guys have a great early start only to tail off and never reach top 6 roles. Hes also not the best defensively so you wonder if he can play in your bottom 6 if all else fails.
Whalers Fan
Go Habs!
Both players seem to be trending in a positive direction. Nothing wrong with that.
JeffreyLFC
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To be fair many people said the exact samething after Suzuki signed his long term deal. He only had one season of 40pts and many thought it was a mistake and a huge risk for the habs to sign him for 8 years. Unless Slaf regress massively (which is very unlikely as he is only 20 years old) the deal will age very well and will most likely be a bargain from year 2 or 3 of his 8 years deal.
Captain97
Registered User
Not the best defensively? He has great possession metrics especially for the team he was on. And breaks up plays on the back check all the time. The amount of times I've watched him play and thought wow that was a nice takeaway is abnormally high for a young player.
I'm hoping he becomes a force for the Habs. I like the kid.
100% there is a risk for the organization. The reward is that if he truly is the guy who put up 35 points in the last 40 games of the season, you likely have a steal and quite a bit of cap savings. I don't think he signs for under 8M if he puts up 60-70 points next season playing with Suzuki/Caufield.
They made same risk with Caufield and lesser extent Suzuki. 1-2M savings add up and can help make a better roster. Will this work, who knows but they definitely have a plan.
FoxysExpensiveNYDigs
Boo Nieves Truther
Dr Jan Itor
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CDN24
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How is this different than the Stutzle signing. Stutzle signed for 8 years at 8.35M in sept 2022 after his 2nd season where he put up 22G -36A for 58 pts and a minus 27. Slaf 7.6M for 20G 30A 50pts and a minus 19. Were the sens wondering if Stutzle could play in bottom 6 if need be after that minus 27?
Unless Sens are planning on entering their guys in the olympic diving events as the back-up, I don't see where Habs took any more risk that Sens did.
Tanknation
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- Feb 24, 2012
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ottawa
Avatar of the Year*
22? I guess math can be hard sometimes
Here's the age of that lineup a couple years from now;
Gallagher 33
Andersen, Matheson 31
Evans, Dvorak 29
Suzuki 26
Dach, Caufield, Newhook, Xhejak 24
Guhle 23
That's 11/18 players 23 or older
Slafkovsky - Suzuki - Demidov
Caufield - Dach - Roy
Newhook - Beck - Farrell
Anderson - Kapanen - Gallagher
Heineman
Guhle - Matheson
Hutson - Reinbacher
Xhekaj - Mailloux
Struble, Barron
Montembeault
Primeau
was the lineup suggested. Virtually exclusively young, inexperienced guys.
A lineup like that would struggle tremendously.
Did someone realy try to compare Slafkovsky to Mantha in any fashion?
RE this contract. it again has all the potential of being one of the best deals in the league in 2-4 years. While he may have some hiccups or "warts" people also need to remember that Montreal will in short order after this year, last year and next years draft be surrounding him with infinitely more skilled players than what they have now.
Adding 2-4 top tier players via the draft on the blue line and centering him or playing on his off wing will only increase his viability and production.
While there is always some inherent risk in signing a kid to a long term contract, there is also every chance that the contract will be considered a brgain for multiple years of its term.
RE this contract. it again has all the potential of being one of the best deals in the league in 2-4 years. While he may have some hiccups or "warts" people also need to remember that Montreal will in short order after this year, last year and next years draft be surrounding him with infinitely more skilled players than what they have now.
Adding 2-4 top tier players via the draft on the blue line and centering him or playing on his off wing will only increase his viability and production.
While there is always some inherent risk in signing a kid to a long term contract, there is also every chance that the contract will be considered a brgain for multiple years of its term.
Nico Cauzuki
Registered User
50 points at 19 years old and anyone who watched the habs second half of the season will tell u he was our best player did u think Stutzle’s contract was a big risk when he signed it because the numbers are close and Juraj is far from being bad defensively he actually surprised me
Slaf is one of our most important pieces today and in the future signing him to 8 years was always the right move to do
The Gr8 Dane
L'harceleur
Not mad at fans of other teams who see 50 points and say its a risk. I mean why would they watch our dogmeat team , Habs fans know the things that Slaf can bring to his line , things both Caufield and Suzuki simply can't do. His 50 points feel like much more than that when you watch what he was doing out there on the ice in the second half of the season , he will become an amazing 2 way player , he is already the teams best 2 way winger at 5 on 5 ( not saying much )
Kudo Shinichi
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It would struggle tremendously based on what?
I said the team should make the playoffs, not win the president trophy or go far in the playoffs.
Based on the complete lack of experience and rookie mistakes. I'd expect the defensive core to struggle most.
Estimated_Prophet
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Laine was known to be something of a headcase as well before he was drafted.....naming Mantha and Laine who are nothing like Slafkovsky off the ice are poor choices as they have both struggled due to a lack of discipline that was well known to everyone when they were tennagers.
TheDoldrums
Registered User
byrath
Registered User
This contract has roughly a 10% chance of being bad, 20% chance of being fair, and 70% chance of being good. Most UFA deals are pretty much the opposite, so yeah there is risk but this is a good deal for the Habs.
Kudo Shinichi
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To make the playoffs as a wildcard team, talent is a lot more important than experience.
The young players on that team are not regular players, we're talking about high-end prospects. The talent Demidov, Slafkovsky, Hutson, Reinbacher, Mailloux, etc. bring far out trumps their lack of experience.
The team has a much better chance of making the playoffs by having those inexperienced, but highly talented prospects than by having average, but experienced players.
The leafs finished last in the league in 2015-2016, then made the playoffs the following year on the back of 3 rookies (Matthews, Nylander, and Marner).
